Book: The College Blue Book

Clarification and Scope

The 1990 edition of The College Blue Book is a multi-volume reference directory of higher-education institutions compiled by editorial staff and issued by a major reference publisher, not a single-authored work by Anthony J. D'Angelo. If you were seeking D'Angelo’s later, aphoristic guide for students that shares a similar title, let me know. The summary below describes the 1990 reference set widely used by students, counselors, and libraries.

Overview

The College Blue Book (1990) serves as a comprehensive, standardized catalog of accredited two- and four-year colleges and universities in the United States, with coverage that often extends to Canadian institutions and selected specialized schools. Its purpose is to centralize essential, comparable information, admissions requirements, academic offerings, costs, financial aid, and campus characteristics, so prospective students and advisers can make informed choices in an era before online databases.

Organization

The set is organized into distinct volumes calibrated to different research needs. A core volume offers narrative descriptions of individual institutions, presenting a concise portrait of each campus. Complementary volumes map degrees and programs by institution and by subject, capturing the breadth of majors, professional credentials, and technical certifications. Another volume focuses on occupational and technical education, reflecting the growing role of community colleges and vocational programs. A substantial financial aid volume inventories scholarships, fellowships, grants, and loans from institutional, governmental, and private sponsors. Index and data-table volumes provide quick-reference comparisons and crosswalks by geography, subject, accreditor, and institutional type.

Content and Features

Narrative entries typically include founding history and mission, accreditation, admissions criteria and deadlines, standardized test policies, tuition and fees, room and board, enrollment figures, faculty-student ratios, library holdings, notable facilities, student-life highlights, special programs, and contact information. The data-table sections translate these elements into sortable, at-a-glance statistics, useful for comparing, for example, tuition bands, application requirements, or the presence of specific majors across dozens of institutions. The scholarships and aid listings detail eligibility, award amounts, deadlines, residency or field-of-study constraints, and application procedures, giving students a starting point to assemble a funding strategy.

Editorial Method and Reliability

Information is gathered from institutional submissions, catalogs, and accrediting bodies, then standardized by editors to permit apples-to-apples comparison. Accreditation status is emphasized to help readers filter legitimate programs. Although comprehensive for its time and periodically updated, the set acknowledges the inherent lag of print: tuition, deadlines, and policies may change mid-cycle, so entries provide direct contacts for verification.

Use and Audience

High school counselors rely on the narrative volume to help families articulate fit, size, setting, selectivity, and program strengths, while students use the degree and scholarship volumes to match aspirations to concrete options. Librarians employ the index and tabular volumes to field quick factual queries. Institutional researchers and policy analysts mine the tables for macro patterns in enrollment, program distribution, and cost structures.

1990 Context and Significance

Appearing at a moment of rising tuition, evolving financial-aid formulas, expanding community college pathways, and early experiments in distance and continuing education, the 1990 Blue Book captures a transitional landscape. It systematizes a dispersed body of information that, pre-internet, would otherwise require contacting dozens of admissions offices. Its value lies less in narrative prose than in disciplined coverage, comparability, and wide accessibility.

Limitations

As a print reference, it is descriptive rather than evaluative; it does not rate quality or outcomes, and its snapshots can date quickly. Used alongside current catalogs and direct institutional outreach, however, the 1990 set remains a clear window into the structure and options of higher education at the time.